A pair of much-loved ospreys returned to their Perthshire nest within hours of each other on Friday leaving wildlife reserve rangers both shocked and delighted.
For the first time ever, both the female osprey (NC0) and her mate (LM12) arrived back at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Dunkeld site on the same day.
Female NC0 arrived first on the nest at 7.43am on Friday, March 17 and proceeded to give it a spruce-up straight away.
Then at 1.43pm - exactly six hours later - LM12 flew in and perched next to her on the nest, performing a “sky dance” just before landing for good measure.
Most ospreys migrate to West Africa for winter but some also travel to Spain and Portugal.
Perthshire ranger, Sara Rasmussen, was thrilled to see both back again at the stunning Perthshire loch.
She said: “This is the earliest NC0 has ever arrived back and is looking in very good health after her long flight. She was ‘nestorating’ straight away - giving the nest a tidy up.
“I was totally delighted to see her back. When I saw her looking up from the nest into the sky, I grabbed a pair of binoculars and sure enough she had spotted her breeding mate LM12. Last year LM12 was first back with a record date of March 13, 2022.
“It is wonderful to have them both back together to breed and on the same day makes it extra special.”
NC0 was ringed as a chick near Loch Ness in 2016. She first bred in 2020 and has raised five chicks.
This will be the 12th breeding season for male osprey LM12 at Loch of the Lowes.
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th Century. They began to recover in the 1960s and an estimated 300 pairs of ospreys now breed in the UK each summer.
The Osprey Protection Programme at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, with funds awarded by Postcode Planet Trust.
Laura Chow, head of charities, People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The start of the osprey season at Loch of the Lowes is a clear sign that spring is on its way.
“The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s reserve and webcam provide a perfect opportunity to view these incredible birds of prey up close and to learn more about their breeding behaviours and the challenges they face rearing a brood of young.”
Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre is open seven days a week from 10.30am to 5pm. The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s live osprey webcam ensures people around the world can follow events as they happen.
